Questions hiring firms ask.

Lateral Lock talks with the candidate before any introduction. The conversation covers the practice they actually do, seniority, why they are looking, what they want in the next seat, and whether compensation expectations are in range for the role. We present people we will stand behind, and we will say when we cannot fill a search well. A firm receives a name, a current employer, or materials only after that candidate has authorized the introduction to that firm.

Retained searches are exclusive. Lateral Lock commits dedicated capacity, which is the usual fit for senior, strategic, or practice-group work. Contingency searches for associate and counsel roles are not exclusive: the firm can keep running its own process, and the fee is due if the firm hires a candidate we introduced. We recommend which model fits the seat.

Engagements use a standard BigLaw recruiting fee agreement. The agreement is where the commercial terms live, including when a fee is earned, any guarantee or replacement period, and any off-limits or non-solicit language. Lateral Lock does not publish a fee schedule or a percentage on this site. Ask, and we will send the form of agreement that fits the search.

The hiring firm pays. Candidates are never charged.

Search details stay inside the engagement. Lateral Lock does not shop a confidential search to people who do not need it. Candidate identities are shared with you only after the candidate has authorized that introduction. If a search itself has to stay quiet, say so at the start and we will handle it that way.

Nationwide, across the practice groups Lateral Lock covers. The firm is based in Houston. A search stays in one city only when the firm needs that. Practice pages describe how we work with associates, counsel, and partners in each major group, including corporate, finance, disputes, intellectual property, regulatory, and the specialties on the practices index. If a specialty is not named, ask.

The practice, the seniority, the office or offices that can hire, and why the seat is open. It helps to know what has worked in the role before, what has not, and what a good first year looks like. A job description alone is a starting point, not the brief.

Yes. Competitive, strategic, and internal reasons are all ordinary reasons to keep a search quiet. Discretion applies from the first conversation through the process, and candidate-side confidentiality is separate: an associate, counsel, or partner is introduced to a firm only after authorizing that firm.

No. BigLaw lateral placement is our specialty, at the associate, counsel and partner level, including group hires. We also work with boutiques and mid-market firms when the seat calls for it.